April 6, 2021— Eastern Phoebe is one of the first songbirds to arrive back in Connecticut during spring migration. They’re mainly insect eaters, particularly flying insects. They’re a common species that can be found around most homes and outbuildings, and readily build their nest on small ledges under overhangs in buildings, on outdoor lights and under bridges.
Posts Tagged ‘Daily Bird’
Daily Bird: Eastern Phoebe
Tuesday, April 6th, 2021Daily Bird: Spring waterfowl — Blue-winged Teal
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021March 31, 2021 — As spring takes hold, our marshes, both inland and coastal, will really begin to awaken. One of our most familiar and easily-observed groups of birds, the ducks, are in peak migration and can be seen readily in most wetlands. Keep an eye out for the dapper Blue-winged Teal among the flocks of familiar waterfowl.
Daily Bird: White-faced Ibis
Tuesday, March 30th, 2021March 30, 2021 — Birders found a White-faced Ibis — an uncommon visitor to Connecticut’s coast — at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison today.
Daily Bird: Great Horned Owl
Monday, March 29th, 2021March 29, 2021 — Great Horned Owl is one of the earliest nesting birds in Connecticut, and you may already start to see the downy heads of chicks poking out the top of their stick nests this time of year.
Daily Bird: Spring waterfowl — Wood Duck
Friday, March 26th, 2021March 26, 2021 — This time of the year Wood Ducks are found in good nesting habitat. That includes almost all freshwater bodies and wetlands with nearby large trees and adequate cover.
Daily Bird: Spring waterfowl — American Black Duck
Wednesday, March 24th, 2021March 24, 2021 — Breeding season is starting so look for American Black Duck mainly in freshwater wetlands such as shallow ponds, marshes, and beaver ponds. Some nesting occurs in saltwater marshes as well.
Daily Bird: Spring waterfowl — Ring-necked Duck
Monday, March 22nd, 2021March 22, 2021 — Ring-necked Ducks appear on Connecticut’s shallow freshwater lakes as soon as the ice disappears in late winter and early spring. As with many waterfowl, if you pick the right spot and don’t try to get too close, they can be fairly easy to observe with binoculars or a scope. Also like most waterfowl, they are strikingly beautiful.
Daily Bird: Bonaparte’s Gull
Friday, March 19th, 2021March 19, 2021 — They are most likely to be seen during spring migration through Long Island Sound, which peaks from now to early-April, when with some luck the larger flocks may be found. When in flight, these flocks stay very tightly together and can be quite acrobatic as they weave back and forth through the air. Look for them feeding on barnacle larvae on the water’s surface. This annual phenomenon known as a plankton “bloom” occurs in March and April, coinciding with the Bonaparte’s Gull migration.
Daily Bird: Black-headed Gull
Wednesday, March 17th, 2021March 17, 2021 — A great find at any time of the year, but more likely in the late winter and early spring, this small, hooded gull is normally found associating with large flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls but often consorts with larger gull species such as Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls.
Daily Bird: American Woodcock
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021March 10, 2021 — A harbinger of spring, American Woodcocks arrived in Connecticut in February again this year rather than in March. Their flight displays and calls are an amazing spectacle that should be witnessed by all who appreciate nature and yearn for spring to start.
Daily Bird: Wilson’s Snipe
Tuesday, March 9th, 2021March 9, 2021 — Wilson’s Snipe are starting to show up in Connecticut. These game birds are cryptically and physically similar to American Woodcock but they are readily distinguishable by a head-striping pattern opposite that of Woodcock: longitudinal rather than latitudinal.
Daily Bird: Winter Wren
Thursday, March 4th, 2021March 4, 2021 — Winter Wrens can be found throughout the state at this time of year although they are usually hard to find because of their secretive habits. The best place to look is in thick brush near streams.
Daily Bird: American Tree Sparrow
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021March 3, 2021 — To those unfamiliar with birds, American Tree Sparrow would likely blend in with the background or be glossed over as just another sparrow. But to a birder’s eye, this species perfectly masters a balance between drab coloring and striking streaks of rufus, especially in an already bland winter backdrop.
Daily Birds: Blackbirds
Wednesday, February 24th, 2021February 24, 2021 — Among the first noticeable signs of spring in February is the progression of blackbird flocks, often large or even huge. They will consist of a mix of Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Any of the three can be the primary species in a given flock, although flocks dominated by cowbirds tend not to have a lot of grackles.
Daily Bird: Red-shouldered Hawk
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021February 23, 2021 — Red-shouldered Hawks can be found in every month, but they can be especially conspicuous starting around this time of year, when mated pairs and rival males engage in raucous nuptial and territorial vocalizations. They get very noisy again when the young leave the nest, but some calling can be heard anytime.
Daily Bird: Common Loon
Thursday, February 18th, 2021February 18, 2021 — Common Loons may be the symbol of wild, northern lakes but in winter and spring these large diving birds are relatively easy to find in Connecticut’s coastal waters and larger freshwater lakes and rivers. It is the largest loon you are likely to see in Connecticut.
Daily Bird: Red Crossbill
Wednesday, February 17th, 2021February 17, 2021 — Birders are getting good views and good photos of a small flock of Red Crossbills at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, in pines to the right of the Meigs Point pavilion. We posted this Daily Bird just a few months ago, in November (it was originally written several years ago), but Hammo has been such a reliable location lately for these rarities that it’s worth posting again (with new photos by Patrick Comins).
Daily Bird: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Wednesday, February 10th, 2021February 10, 2021 — Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers can be found throughout the state in winter. They’re a little larger and stockier than Downy Woodpeckers, black and white, with adult males sporting a bright red crown and throat. Adult females lack the red throat. They have a prominent white stripe on their wings.
Daily Bird: Northern Shrike
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021February 3, 2021 — This is the rare passerine, or songbird, that actually preys on rodents and other birds. It and its close relative the Loggerhead Shrike are the only two in North America to do that.
Daily Bird: Northern Harrier
Monday, February 1st, 2021February 1, 2020 — The Northern Harrier is a hawk of grasslands and open country. At this time of year it can be found at dozens of locations along the coast, and in open grasslands inland as well.
